New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-25
LEON SAY AT THE ACADEMY.
personal MEMORIES OF EDMOND ABOUT.

PERSONAL MEMORIES OF EDMONO AoOoA
49,. .. ,,o,,, An CORRESPONDENT TRIB,'SE.1
~~- A'' PARIS December rs.
The sitting OF the Academy the other day was not
. hit Academicsl A fnancer Leon Say, who has
IN. hody of a Flemish beer-drnker. and face
which has often caused chattering behind fsps
about old Baron James R0thschld came TO praise
two Academicians, the books OF one OF whch sJuIes
Sandeau) he damned because he had never reaa
them. A lawyer. Maitre Rouse. answered IN
devils own STYLE" in which there was to"ch
Of purely clerical eoquence and moro IN the paris
where tlors was an utter absence OF charity TOT
Repubcan opponents than else where. Leon Say
used not to be snch strong reminder OF Old Baron
James a. he has got to be Of late. he has "
uastor-hke air when one meets "nn
IN the street, and don't kno"
what there was that marked him as Protestant Oh
n Nonconformist style. even IN his paimenioio'u-
.red coat with q sword at his side. lie 10 'o'y
c,ever and showed himself so on this OCCASION pu'
bis paragraphs were abrupt and o1ten 'nh"r'.o-
,;o,s aud although he Is not without feeling TOT
,ho .rts there was no music in anv of his periods
One has to be in Paris long time 10 Ieei 'no
,hytbm of literary French, however CRISP quicA
and bright are the periods in which IL runs ZIG
menceau. who perhaps is the least ahoc'0u
of public speakers that ever mounted the tribune
poisc. and so does Grevy. who. like the Radical
orator chiefly aims at clearpcss and sincerity IN
expressing thought or feeling. Clemenceau has
often rold me that the French he hears on the
Boulevards in the greenrooms of theatres. and 100
often in his own editorial room. strikes him as
"un Francois des vovons"
Leon Says was the French OF business men, out
good French of its kind. He was not kiDder 10
pOor About than he deserved. and his criticism Oh
his writings showed that he had enjoyed them ana
keenly felt wherein their merit lay. But ne )udged
him rather from the booksellers point OF view or
that of an editor or of a statesman VINO mas ol'eh
had to buy the pens of literary men for Journasuc
or party purposes. Though About no more bore
being translated than Bordeaux wine rich IN dell
cate bouquet, bears being decanted. there never
was "A author who gave translators so much
10 do. knew About intimately. and enjoyed hear
ing how hard no struck while seeming to strike
with n hand of feathery lghtness. But Leon Say
did not render full justice to the home qualities Oh
About never met any one so quick to resent so
quick to forget brush, so open. cordial and atec-
tionate to friends and family as the author OF " La
Question Romano" and "Grece Contemporaries
His mental life was too intense for him to live In
this furnace of Paris to ripe old age. About
wrote best at his country house of the Schlltten-
bach in the Vosges. and felt how necessary retire.
ment there was to enabe MIN 10 store MS energlcs,
which went TO waste in Paris. don't say that after
he was obliged to leave Alsace he plunged
into any Of the naughty pleasures of ia vie
Par;sienne" and forgot that he was not still young.
But he gave out cerebral energy wherever ne
went because he talked as well, If not better, than
he wrote. and enjoyed feeling that he amused. lie
could not help amusing. and his AMER never failed
10 call out sayings which heaped rldcule on Its OBJ
iect. Nobody could understand his breadth OF ma
fure who had not seen him at his own table with
old chums and new friends around him. Who that
ever was present at the supper he gave IN his house
the night of the first representation OF Ann
FIItz' can ever forget it All the stage proper
ties" in the dining room and kitchen scenes were
borrowed from the Schlittenbach. and the costume
of one OF AbOuts Alsatlan BONES was copied by
the dressmakcr of Mile. Reicl enberg. who person.
ated SazGR.
wondered as looked the other day at Nine.
About how it was possible TO 60 on living with no
vial and intellectual excitement ANA TO draw all
that was best IN Paris to it, The oldest son. Pierre.
died of sheer depression which the constant miss.
ing of his father caused. He got INTO state OF
black II elancholy, from which nothing could rouse
hin-en,ist to try and shake il OF by total
change of scene and occupation: got drenched, had
no vitality left to resist the chill, ana III three
weeks was in his grave. he other seven. although
childhood and youth forget so fast losses caused by
death. were much alive TO every thlng SAID about
their father and some of them cried bitterly. Nine.
AbOut is very brave. number OF friends after
the sitting at the Academy was over, followed her
and her children to Pere Lachase to place flowers
OH Abouts tomb.